Meat mold



Nov. 1'8, 1947. F H, HOY 2,431,253

MEAT MOLD Filed Sept. 2. 1944 Patented Nov. 18, 1947 OFFICE MEAT MoLD- Frank H. Hoy,

Equipment Company, poration of Wisconsin Milwaukee, Wis.,assgnor to Hoy Milwaukee, Wis., a cor-Y Application September 2, 1944, Serial No. 552,444 1 Claim. (Cl. 99-351) This invention relates to a mold and more particularly to a molding pan structure of the type used in the fabrication of pressed hams, meats, and the like.

An object of this invention is to provide a simple compact meat mold which is not only economical to manufacture, but is relatively light in weight and easy to clean.

Another Aobject of this invention is to provide a meat mold of the type including a cover and a bottom pan so interrelated that the cover can be moved into the pan under spring tension but without any likelihood of cooking relative to the pan.

Yet another object of the invention vrelates to the provision of a simple mold which will uniformly compress ham or the like so that the ensuinar product has a substantial uniform cross section.

Still another object of the invention relates to the provision of a mold including a bottom pan and a cover so interrelated that the cover in telescoping the pan will constantly be under the force of spring pressure after the mold has been removed from a suitable press employed in the meat compressing operation.

In accordance with the general features of this invention, there is provided for use in an open top molding pariy a cover having a lid portion of a size to iit in the open top'of a pan and to closely follow the walls thereof and lateral.

portions above the plane of the lid portion and provided with oppositeguide elements for telescoping cooperation with opposite portions of the pan;` the lateral portions being so formed so as to receive the ends of springs arranged for connection to the sides of the pan.

Another feature of the invention relates to the provision of a mold structure including the above referred to cover and a bottom pan havingtubular guide portions which extend through a major portion of theheight of the pan and each of which ris V arranged to have a. lower end of a' tension `spring inserted therein, the upper end of each tubular portion being arranged to receive a guide stud on the lid.

Other objects of this invention will more fully appear from the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, which illustrates a single embodiment thereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is a plane view of my novel mold structure partly broken away and in section at one end to show the manner in which the tubular guide on the pan receives the guide stud on the cover.

Figure 2 is a side View of the structure shown inFigure 1, showing a pan in cross-section with the ham in position to be compressed, the cover and springs being shown in elevation, and

Figure 3 is a View similar to Figure 2 after vthe ham has been compressed in the mold and showing how the cover is under the tension of the opposite springs thus holding the packed meat in a tightly compressed state during further processing or cooking.

As shown on the drawings:

It should be noted at the outset that while for the purpose of illustration in Figures 1 and 2 I have shown the springs applied to the mold prior to the, pressing of the ham in a suitable press (not shown), I preferably apply them to the mold after the nteatpressing operation as shown in Figure 3, as there is no substantial advantage to vbe gained in applying them prior to the pressing operation. The reason for this is that `for example, as stainless steel sheeting or the like. The upper edge of the pan may be flanged at II, if such anging is so desired.

The opposite sides or ends of the pan are provided with integral tubular guides I2-I2, which may be identical in construction. Each of these guides may be made of a stamping in which the metal is bent into two overlapping halves, forming thel tubular guide. portion proper and divergent legs I 3-I 3 (Figure 1) welded or other- Wise secured to the end of the pan;

It will be perceived that each of the tubular guides I2 extends substantially through a major portion of the height of the pan so that there is provided a guiding area substantially coextensive with the extent of movement of the cover I5 to be hereinafter described.

The cover I5 includes a lid portion I6 which is of a size to telescope thevopen top of the pan Ill and is of such dimension that its edges closely hug the sidewalls of the pan. It is below this lidA thata mass of meat, such as a piece of boneless ham I4, is adapted to be disposed in the pan.

Formed integral with the lid portion I6 is an upstanding longitudinal rib I'I terminating at its extremities in lateral extensions Iii-I8, disposed in a plane substantially above the top edge II of the pan. These extensions I 8 are identical in construction and are arranged so as to be directly over the tubular guides I2-I2.

The rib I'I may also be provided with a hand hold I9 for facilitating handling of the cover. In other words, the cover is through the means of the opening I9 provided at 2li with a handle. Moreover, the lid portion I6, the rib I1 and the extensions I8 may also be formed integral as part of a single casting. I find that excellent results may be obtained, from the standpoint of lightness and economy in manufacture, by casting the opposite guide studs 2 entire cover I5`from suitable metallic material,

such asaluminumor the like. Y A

In addition;` theicoyer I5 ,may .',have-cast 7as integral parts thereof downwardly extending tubular guides |2--I2 on the pan. Each of these guide studs N2l may be l-2I, which are identical.. in construction, and are adapted to telescope the the ends or sidestf of a cylindrical configuration. Whilellgpeiar fabricating them integrally with "the 'coverfth'ey may of course be separate pieces of metal, suitably fastened to the extens'oris`|8=--l8.l Y '1 Each of the lid extensions i8 is to receive an upper ende23 of a tension cil spring Y2li. The extremity of the upper end 2,3 of the .spring is Acoiled or turned at 25, "and Ybridges VAor `strad-dles 'thejgap jforrred jby the'slot Q22, as 'inFeurel-- Y i' Thelower end df eacho'fithezsprings2L-Which are identical in constructionfisormed intoa hook 2,6 inserted in'theilow'er end o'ftheadjoi'riing .'tubularguide "ljlonjihepan 'i "The 'convclutions 'or icoils'of feah dflthesprings 24 fare 'so "arranged that *the'i'sprinlg "when in Vuse vportion t6 of 'the cover 'is inserted "inA the-"open scopingthe'tubular guideSfIfZ-JKZ. 1 i

After the'moldhas 'been thus `ssembledfjwith a mass lof'ni'eat I 4 therein, assembly is 3then lplaced, 'preferably 'witnoutv the'is'priri'gsfin --a suitable press .and subjected to "a pressure, Jsuch :for examplefas'twelvegto 'iifteen hundredgpounds This results iin* theccmpressiori ofethe tmeat 1ii'ito a compacted Vmass "ait the 1bottom` of thei-pan, as showniinFigure; f

"Thereafter the *mold is `removed 'fronr the u press 'and the/'lower 'or'ihdokel'fend 2li vpif -each "of 2ithe 'springs is insertedlfm "the lowerrend dftherguide 'tube I?, y"and the 1upper'fencl-TZ3 Lif Jthe spring L4is pulled 'upwardly iand 'slid laterall'y linto `rfthe Cslot '22 in the'extensiori l'fo'f the fclover.' 1n this manner the ycover fiisibeing pressed downwardly 'under tension plaga/inst the Ycompacted''umass of `meat fdLinftne "pan: ",Itiwllifurtheribemerceived 'that euer-to there@ the" studs @2L-2| a1-death lgu'iding'ly embraced v'at' points "above below 4a medialr plane `rof fthe 'pany-'cooking ofy the Vnoyer relative to the pan is substantially trepreeluded. 'ThisV enables-a'unformdownwardly ymovenient of the'flid i6 underfjthefljr v4v `ftlie opposite-'coil 'Springs,ll--Qlll f Y f'ff Shave found 'that with a jfparticlar xs'ize vvof molding vlpan, eachlspr'ing, when cetrtche'dfgtoffain slotted at 4 extent of about two inches, may apply a force ,014,75 Apounds. However, 1afterrtlieprocessing of ithe1ham,e;the 3spring mayhave :contracted to such an extent that it only will be applying about 50 pounds of spring pressure.

The advantage of having these springs con- :startly apply pressure to the meat after it has been compressed, yis that during cooking 'and .'llellplliiesihgthe holes in the meat are kept -Jliselanda.iihstantial uniform product is enablecl. f'fMt-er ithe -cooking of the ham, the cover is easlydetached from the molding pan by pulling th spring ends 25 laterally away from their co-operation with theslotted extensions vIIB- I8 'Off the'wvef- :"The @ver-may thenbemaimally gripped at the handle 20 'fr/1@ remore@ tem the pan. Thereafter the Ynieatjmagybe '.suitablb'yremoved from the pan. All-pits'arefthenfree `toffbe easily washed Y and cleaned A'for"'-sii'bsecu-'remt i Ll l 'r ,lili Y cla'm'as n my invention: v

5RaimaisNoEs @man 'The .following `irei''erences are offre'cor'd :in `the le of this patent?" :PATaNsrs 

